Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m M A R C H 2 0 1 6 35 Total lawyers: 60 Lawyers by office: Quebec City, 60 Core practice areas: Corporate law and financing; com- mercial law; securities; civil and professional liability; insurance; labour and employment law; real estate; class actions in defence including, but not limited to, profes- sional liability, intellectual property, and public health; disciplinary law; business ethics and penal risk Key clients: AIG, Bridgestone Canada Inc., BDC Capital, Chartis, Desjardins Venture Capital, Fonds des archi- tectes, Groupe Le Massif, Manac, National Bank of Cana- da, Prelco, Roynat Inc., Université Laval, WSP Canada Notable mandates: Confidential Star alumni: Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Jean-Francois Émond, Quebec Superior Court justices Lise Bergeron, Jacques Blanchard, and Alicia Soldevila, Quebec Court Justice Jean Asselin; former CBA president Paule Gauth- ier; former Quebec premier Jean Lesage; former prime minister Louis St. Laurent Affiliations: Risk Management Counsel of Canada and Geneva Group International The firm: Stein Monast LLP is the successor of Stein Monast Pratte & Marseille, a Quebec City firm that was founded in 1957. It partnered with Montreal's Desjardins Ducha- rme from 1992 to 2007, and is now operating from its Quebec City offices throughout the province of Quebec. One of the firm's strongest suits is "knowing their clients' business," said a survey respondent. Another respondent lauded Stein Monast's "extraordinary client service and skill." Total lawyers: 73 Lawyers by office: Montreal, 73 Core practice areas: Real estate; litigation; taxation; construc- tion; business law Key clients: BTB Real Estate Investment Trust; Blue Bridge Wealth Management Inc.; Intact Insurance; Weston/Loblaw/ Provigo; TD Bank; AGF Group Notable mandates: The firm is currently co-representing the plaintiffs in a long-standing class action in Quebec brought against the three major Canadian tobacco manufacturers. It's also representing the KPH-Turcot consortium, the design builder of the new Turcot Interchange, in connection with its ongoing activities to replace the interchange pursuant to a contract worth $1.5 billion. In the past, it represented a group comprised of Canderel, the Montreal Canadiens, and the real estate investment arm of the FTQ in connection with its participation in the 438-unit, 37-storey Tour des Canadiens 2 residential condominium project in downtown Montréal. De Grandpre was also counsel to the Buksbaum family, founder and co-owner of Montpak International, in the sale of the family business, a veal and lamb processor and distributor. Also among the firm's notable works is its representation of a public REIT in the context of the refi- nancing of its debentures on the TSX. Star alumni: Ten former De Grandpré lawyers have gone on to become judges, including Québec Superior Court justices Christiane Alary, Martin Castonguay, Carol Cohen, Pierre Labelle, and Yves Poirier; and Court of Québec justices Normand Amyot, Daniel Bourgeois, Gilles Lareau, Vincent Piazza, and Christian Tremblay. Affiliations: Interlaw and Lexwork International The firm: De Grandpré Chait is the result of the 1999 merger between De Grandpré Godin and Chait Amyot. In 1928, Samuel Chait started practising real estate law. Following the consolidation of five Montréal-based firms, Pierre De Grandpré founded De Grandpré Godin in 1966. The firm says it has developed the leading real estate practice in Que- bec and extended its reach to other areas, including litiga- tion, taxation, construction law, labour and employment law, and business law. "I have not met a lawyer there that is not top tier," said one survey respondent. DE GRANDPRÉ CHAIT LLP DEGRANDPRE.COM 6 STEIN MONAST LLP STEINMONAST.CA 7

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